Drivers from Holloway bus garage joined a recent protest against cuts to bus routes

BUS strikes now look imminent after drivers across Islington voted to reject a pay offer which union campaigners say will leave them struggling to get by.

Unions are urging the public to support Metroline workers on the brink of industrial action at 10 garages across London, including Holloway and King’s Cross.

The stand-off echoes attempts by rail workers to secure better pay and conditions in a series of national strikes.

On the buses, the next stage in the process will see all drivers offered the chance to make a postal vote on whether to walk out.

Their ballot papers are expected to be sent out next week.

Patrick Paul, a Unite union rep at Holloway garage, said striking is the last option for drivers who understand how important their role is in getting vulnerable people around.

He said: “The drivers are not out here to harm the public, we’re just asking for what we deserve and since the operators and the people who run the bus industry are not willing to give us what we deserve this is the only option we’re left with.

“Our CEO clearly said this is all I can give – take it or leave it basically.”

The offer of a 4.5 per cent rise is well short of the rate of inflation – which has rapidly escalated to around 12 per cent amid the cost of living crisis.

Mr Paul said the drivers of all the companies would now coordinate their strikes – expected to happen this autumn – to ensure maximum impact.

He said the current problems date back to the Margaret Thatcher era of Tory governance in the 1980s when many national utilities and services were privatised.

He said: “I think the fact that the Conservatives decided to let go of the bus industry is the cause of all the problems that are happening today as all the operators are run by foreign entities and they’re not here to benefit the people who live in this land. They’re here to maximise their profits.”

He warned that one side effect of poor working conditions was a ­dramatic reduction in bus drivers.

Holloway garage alone is 50 drivers short, he added, meaning the remaining drivers are being incentivised to work longer days and skip rest days, leaving them “fatigued”.

Commenting on the result of Friday’s ballot on the pay offer, he said it was clear drivers are “not going to lie down and take it.

“Without drivers, there wouldn’t be any Metroline,” he said.

“I think they just don’t have any due care to their staff, and as we know the cost of living is sky high now.”

Last month drivers marched to show solidarity against poor pay offers, following on from public outrage over bus cuts threatened by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who says he has been forced into scrapping services over a funding dispute with Tory government transport minister Grant Shapps.

A spokesperson for Metroline said: “We remain hopeful that we can negotiate a pay increase and avoid industrial action and the disruption that this would cause to our passengers.

“Bus driver shortages are an industrywide issue across the UK, and we remain committed to delivering a reliable service for our passengers whilst strictly following all safety requirements to ensure the welfare of our drivers.

“Metroline’s income is fixed in our contracts and is separate from that of our parent company. We receive an annual increase that is below the rate of inflation, and exceptionally high fuel and electricity costs have far exceeded these increases.

“The profit margin in our latest accounts was 1.3 per cent and covers a period before spiralling costs.

“We certainly do not put profits before passengers and use what we earn to support the delivery of high quality services to all of our customers and enables investment in zero emission vehicles.”